Tour includes all accommodation, full Scottish breakfast each morning. All lunches and dinners as listed in itinerary. Porterage of one suitcase per person. Minibus travel including tour guide. Knowledgeable guide for all tourist venues. All sightseeing as indicated in itinerary including any entrance fees. All taxes and service charges. As with all of our tours we try to offer as many different kinds of accommodations as can be found in Scotland.

$5295US per person double occupancy.1 Single Spot just opened up! $500 per person deposit to reserve your spot.

"This tour has it all and I challenge you to find a more complete tour of the Scottish mainland! Although added to and modified here and there, this was the very first tour I offered to Scotland all those many years ago. I would holiday in different areas ofScotland with my family taking advantage of lovely we guest houses and hotels all the while visiting my favourite castles and tearooms and I wanted everyone else to experience Scotland in just this way! A relaxed pace in a family environment that allows you to take in every essence of this wild, historic and romantic country. My goal on every trip to Scotland is for those we take with us to fall in love with Scotland and love it as much as we do! Come fall in love" - Shannon McDonald Tate.

My Heart is in the HighlandsRomancing the Scottish HighlandsAugust 3rd - 16th, 2014

Small intimate tour of Edinburgh, the Highlands and the breathtaking countryside. This tour is designed to accommodate only 10-12 people for a more personal experience to allow you to get the most of your holiday. Keeping the tour size small gives us the opportunity to veer from the beaten track and to take advantage of accommodations, restaurants and sightseeing venues that would not be available to larger groups. You may find yourself staying in a delightful city guesthouse, a small country house hotel, a comfortable farmhouse and an old coaching Inn all in the same visit. Our goal is to show you the real Scots people and some of the wonderful sights to be seen all over this beautiful country.

"We are now spoiled! My husband and I have traveled all over the world, with award trips through his business, my own work and on our own vacations and I must say that this was a spectacular adventure. The small group, just as they advertised, allowed us access to easy parking, back roads, and quaint restaurants. The accommodations were clean, comfortable and beautiful. We would likely have never found them on our own! Shannon was a very gracious host showing kindness and perfect manners in every situation. It made us proud to be with him! Every part of the advertised itinerary was completed as well as a couple of interesting side trips. We even joined a community program in a parking lot in Beauly Firth watching young girls dance and their local pipe and drum band march. Only someone who knows the country well could have found that for us! There was the added bonus of Shannon's amazing ability to find fabulous food! We love to eat and cook so this was just the "icing on the cake" ! Shannon is a walking history book when he's orienting the group to each visit. He knows the country well. He and Mario are full of good humor...we had many great laughs! In one of my past jobs I organized and led mission trips around the world so I had a good idea of the effort it took to run a trip so professionally. I was able to kick back and not worry about a thing. A competent leader was in charge! We have already recommended these folks and would love to travel with them again!" Ron and Marla Rushing - San Antonio, Texas

Itinerary

Day 1 - August 3rd - You will be met at the Edinburgh International Airport, but our adventure will start in the central region of Scotland. Today we make our way out of the city and into beautiful Scottish Countryside and into Stirlingshire. Along the way we will stop at Hopetoun House, Scotland's finest stately house. The atmosphere of warmth and vitality within the house reflects its status as the home of the Hope Family from its building in 1699 to this day. The magnificent interiors which have remained virtually unchanged for three centuries reflect the elegance of the Georgian era and are decorated with the best period furniture, paintings, tapestries and clocks, with beautifully crafted finishes of carving, gilding and plasterwork. Following lunch, we are off to Alloa Tower. We will take a whistle-stop tour through 700 years of Scottish history at Scotland’s Largest and Oldest Keep, the ancestral home of the influential Erskine family, the Earls of Mar and Kellie. As you explore the tower’s four floors, you’ll hear tales of an abbot’s curse, crib ghosts, fortunes and titles lost and regained, and the building’s ruin and restoration. Once we are settled in our accommodation we will meet for a Welcoming Dinner. Overnight Stirlingshire. (L,D)

Day 2 - This morning our first stop will be Stirling and Stirling Castle, one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here and the Great Hall and Chapel Royal are wonderful highlights. Here you will be able to step back into the sumptuous world of Stirling Castle’s Royal Court. An ongoing project has returned the six ground floor apartments in the castle’s Renaissance palace to how they may have looked in the mid 16th century. Following Lunch we visit Doune and Doune Castle, a magnificent late 14th century courtyard castle and famous for the filming location of Monty Python's The Holy Grail. This is one of my most favorite places as it gives such a wonderful glimpse into 14th century Scottish castle living. Before finding our accommodation, we will stop at the Kilmahog Woolen Mills for some shopping and also to visit Hamish and Heather, the resident Highland Cows. Dinner on your own this evening. Overnight Stirlingshire. (B,L)

Day 3 - Much of today will be about spectacular scenery as we make our way further north into the Trossachs on our way to Fort William. We will stop in Killin and the Falls of Dochart. A bridge crosses over the Dochart River just as you enter the village of Killin giving a fabulous view of the falls as they cascade down over the rocks and around the Island of Inchbuie, which is the traditional burial place of the MacNab Clan. If not the most impressive falls in Scotland there are easily the most accessible. Our journey then takes us through the striking mountains of Glencoe on our way to the site of the Glencoe Massacre. The mountains are formed from some of the oldest sedimentary and volcanic strata in the world. The southern region is an assemblage of peaks, ridges and valleys which rise up above the peat hags and scattered lochans of Rannoch Moor. The waters which tumble from these high mountains give rise to a series of spectacular waterfalls that gather initially at the 'Meeting of the Three Waters' to form the River Coe. We will stop at the Clachan Inn for you to get some lunch before we visit the site of the massacre. Against a backdrop of craggy peaks and the tumbling River Coe,the Glen offers some of Scotland's most spectacular scenery but has also seen one of the most violent acts in Scottish history when in 1692 the Clan McDonald were massacred on this very spot! We then make our way to the lovely Highland village of Fort William for some time to look around before settling into our accommodation just up the road. Dinner and Overnight near Fort William. (B,D)

Day 4 - This morning we will take in the "Road to the Isles". We will stop at Glenfinnan which sits at the head of mysterious and beautiful Loch Shiel and is at the crossroads of four steep sided Glens. It was here that Prince Charles Edward Stuart or 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' as he came to be known, called for the local clansmen to assemble in August 1745 and raised the standard proclaiming the throne of Great Britain to rightfully belong to his family, the Stuarts. We will make a few more stops along the way at the picturesque Lochailort, Arisaig and Morar before ending up in Mallaig for Lunch. Mallaig is a busy fishing port and ferry terminal with services to Skye and the Small Isles. Then you will board the Jacobite Steam Train(also known as the Hogwart's Express) for the journey back to Fort William. The train crosses the 21-arched Glenfinnan Viaduct (a location made famous in the Harry Potter films) which overlooks Loch Shiel and the Jacobite monument. Once back in Fort William you will have some tome to look around and then find some dinner on your own. Overnight near Fort William. (B,L)

Day 5 - We make our way to Inverness, the Capitol of the Highlands today. Our journey will take us along Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and the Caledonia Canal System as we make our way to Fort Augustus at the south end of Loch Ness. The Caledonian Canal runs through the centre of Fort Augustus and it is constantly busy with boats of all types and sizes. We will spend some time in Fort Augustus before making our way further north to Drumnadrochit. Know only as 'Drum' to the locals, this is a delightful village which house the Loch Ness Experience and several little shops. After a Cruise on Loch Ness for a possible nessie sighting, we will visit Urquhart Castle just up the road. The magnificently situated castle, on the banks of Loch Ness, remains an impressive stronghold despite its ruinous state. Once one of Scotland’s largest castles, Urquhart’s remains include a tower house that commands splendid views of the famous loch and Great Glen. After our visit, we make our way to our accommodation before Dinner and an evening of Highland Dancing and Performance by the Beauly Firth and Glens Pipe Band in Beauly town square. Overnight Inverness. (B,D)

Day 6 - We drive north on the Black Isle where our first stop will be the Black Isle Brewery for a brief tour. This small, intensely independent brewer is committed to the production of innovative and ground breaking beer. We continue further along the Moray Firthto Fortrose and Fortrose Cathedral. This serenely beautiful red sandstone building has two sections, the chapter house and the nave's south aisle, still standing on location. These buildings went on to serve as Fortrose's Tolbooth after the rest of the cathedral was removed, and the first floor room continued in use as a meeting place for Fortrose Burgh Council until 1939. We then visit Rosemarkie, a village well-known for the Pictish stones that have been found there, some fragmentary but some complete. These stones are housed in Groam House Museum, on the High Street. We will have lunch here before we make our way through Conan Bridge and Muir of Ord on our way back to Inverness. You will then have some time to explore the Capitol of the Highlands and then find some dinner. Overnight Inverness. (B,L)

Day 7 - This morning Culloden Battlefield is our first stop. A desolate stretch of moorland, Culloden looks much as it did on 16 April 1746, the date of the last battle to be fought on British soil. Here Bonnie Prince Charlie made his last stand for the Stewart cause. The battlefield itself is now restored to as close as possible that two side marched on that fateful day. We will find out why this battle that lasted only one hour changed the way of life of the Highlands forever. Then on to Forres where we find Lunch at Simply Red before we continue on to Elgin for a visit to Elgin Cathedral, the superb ruin of what was perhaps the most beautiful cathedral in Scotland. Elgin Cathedral is Scotland's second largest cathedral behind St. Andrews and was known as 'The Lantern of the North'. If suffered many mishaps and then was rebuilt only to see the Reformation in the 1500's. Even in ruins, it is still one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Scotland. We then drive a bit further up the road to Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth. This is a lovely seaside village where we can find some great ice cream before a stroll on the beach. We then explore the lovely Moray Coastline taking in Buckie, Findochty, Portknockie, Cullen, Portsoy and finally arriving in Banff. Dinner and Overnight Banff. (B,D)

Day 8 - This morning we take in Banffshire and the Dolphin Coast. The Banffshire Coastline is a place of undisturbed natural beauty where dolphins, gannets, porpoises, puffins, and the occasional whale, make their home. At Macduff we board a boat for a Puffin Cruises Wildlife Trip. On these trips you often see Bottlenose Dolphins, Seals and Harbour Porpoise and sometimes Minke Whale. The bottlenose dolphins of the Moray Firth are the most northerly resident group of bottlenose dolphins in the world and a vital part of Scotland’s natural heritage. On the 3 hour birdwatching trip we will sail to Troup Head which is home to 4,000 plus gannets and is the only gannet colony in mainland Scotland. In Summer, approximately 22,000 guillemots, 2,000 razorbills, 15,000 pairs of kittiwakes and 2,000 pairs of fulmars are present along with smaller numbers of puffins and shags as well as seals. We then make our way south with a stop in Dufftown, the Whisky Capitol of Scotland. Set in the heart of Speyside in north eastern Scotland, Dufftown is situated on the banks of the rivers Fiddich and Dullan at the foot of the Conval Hills. We then make our way to our accommodation where we find Afternoon Tea waiting. Overnight Central Aberdeenshire. (B,L)

Day 9 - Our first stop this morning is Huntly Castle in the village of Huntly. It is a magnificent ruin of a castle, from the 12th century motte to the palace block erected in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Gordon family. The architectural details and heraldic enrichments are particularly impressive. The Earls of Fife built the original stronghold, the Peel of Strathbogie, around 1190, to guard the crossing-point where the Rivers Bogie and Deveron meet. But it was the mighty Gordons who made the stronghold their own from the 14th century and renamed it Huntly Castle. Our next stop is Glen Garioch Distillery with hearty Highland malts from a truly charming distillery. Single malt Scotch with as much character as the people who create it. Glen Garioch is the most easterly Scotch Whisky distillery not just in Scotland but the world! A great place for lunch is the Inverurie Garden Centre and we will stop here before we make our way to the Sun Honey Farm and the Sun Honey Stone Circle, one of my very favorite spots in all of Scotland! This 4,000 year old recumbent stone circle stands on the shoulder of a hill, surrounded by a ring of aging trees. A recumbent or horizontally placed stone within a stone circle is only found in Aberdeenshire! Overnight Central Aberdeenshire. (B,D)

Day 10 - This morning we make our way along the River Dee and the magnificent scenery of Royal Deeside, in the shadows of Lochnagar. We will stop along the way for lunch before we then head further along the River Dee to Braemar and Braemar Castle. Seat of Clan Farquharson and former home to its chief Captain Alwyne Farquharson, this is a delightful wee fairytale castle managed by the Community of Braemar. Come inside and take a peek at the Victorian Kitchen, the "pit", once prison for 17 Cameron rebels, the elegant Dining Room with its 200 year old grandfather clock and climb the stone turnpike stairs to the comfortable Drawing Room and Morning Room. See the Laird’s Bedroom, with its handsome four poster bed and the secret corner that’s home to Long John Silver and his creator Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote "Treasure Island" right here in Braemar. We then make our way through the Cairngorms down through the Spittal of Glenshee to the lovely Highland Village of Pitlochry. You will have evening free to enjoy all the lovely shops and many fine restaurants in Pitlochry. Overnight Pitlochry. (B,L)

Day 11 - After breakfast we will drive to The Queen's View named after Robert The Bruce's wife Isabel but made popular by Queen Victoria. This is one of the most breathtaking sights in Scotland and will become a favorite of yours. You can't stop here withoutVisiting the Tearoom and having a piece of millionaires shortbread! Next we visit Castle Menzies, a fine 16th century mansion house visited by Bonny Prince Charlie on his way to Culloden in 1746. This spectacular sixteenth century castle, restored by the Menzies Clan Society was the seat of the Chiefs of Clan Menzies for over 400 years and importantly situated, it was involved in the turbulent history of the Highlands. Architecturally fascinating, it is a splendid example of the transition between earlier rugged fortress and later mansion house. This afternoon we visit Blair Atholl and Blair Castle. Bonnie Prince Charlie spent 2 days here in this 700 year old rambling, turreted castle with over 32 rooms open to the public. This ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl enjoys one of Scotland’s finest settings in the heart of Highland Perthshire. This evening we will be out to Dinner and then a Performance at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre! Overnight Pitlochry. (B,D)

Day 12 - This morning we leave the Highlands behind on the way to Perth and Scone Palace, the home of the Earls of Mansfield. Once the crowning place of Scottish Kings, Scone Palace occupies a unique position in Scotland’s history. A breathtakingly beautiful place of power and mystery and the rightful home of the celebrated Stone of Scone, Scone Palace is regarded as a national treasure and is revered as the historic jewel in Scotland’s crown. We then make our way to St. Andrews, Scotland's Home of Golf. We will find some lunch along the way and once in St. Andrews, sightseeing will include St. Andrews Cathedral. The Cathedral dates from around 1160, and was consecrated in the presence of Robert the Bruce in July 1318. We will also visit the Old Course and have some free time to investigate St. Andrews before returning to Edinburgh where you will have a chance to explore the city and find some dinner on your own before a performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Overnight at a Boutique Country House near Edinburgh. (B,L)

Day 13 - Today will be mostly at your leisure in the city. To make the most of your visit you will have all day tickets for Edinburgh's City Tour Hop Off and Off Bus which will take you to all of the major highlights of the city. On your way about the city you will have opportunities to stop at The Palace of the Holyrood House, The Royal Yacht Britannia, St. Giles Cathedral, Greyfriars Bobby and Deacon Brodie's Pub. The Old Town and New Town districts of Edinburgh were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 in recognition of the unique character of the Medieval Old Town and the planned Georgian New Town. It covers both the Old and New Towns together with the Dean Village and the Calton Hill areas. There are over 4,500 listed buildings within the city. Edinburgh Castle houses the The Honours of Scotland, the nation’s Crown Jewels. The Crown, Sceptre and Sword of State are the oldest royal regalia in the United Kingdom and is well worth a visit. This evening we will meet for a Farewell Dinner. Dinner Overnight near Edinburgh. (B,D)

Day 14 - August 16th - We return to the Edinburgh International Airport for the journey home. (B)